Thetford hoard

Look at the small pair of clasped hands on top of the ring. They occupy the bezel, the part intended to be seen on the wearer’s finger. Around it, a basket-like pattern and fine wire decoration turn the gold hoop into a worked surface. The ring belongs to the late Roman Thetford hoard. Jewellery can preserve choices about dress and imagery even when the people who wore it are unknown. Here, the hands place a recognisable human gesture on the wearer’s finger. The ring entered the Museum through Treasure Trove. The hoard’s find documentation is incomplete, so its jewellery cannot support a detailed account of exactly who buried it or why. Start with what this particular ring preserves. Compare the clear gesture on the bezel with the repeated pattern of the hoop. Each uses a different scale of detail to hold the eye.